The years pass faster and faster, or at least our perception of them. According to Professor Adrian Bejan of Duke University, as we age, the size and complexity of the networks of neurons in our brain increases: electrical signals must travel greater distances, and therefore signal processing takes longer. weather. Bejan postulates that slower processing times cause us to perceive fewer “frames per second”: more real time passes between the perception of each new mental image. This is what makes time go by faster. It does not matter if this theory seems convincing or not, the truth is that 2022 flew by, hopefully the remaining two years of government in Mexico will pass the same.
Consumer trends 2023
With the new year comes the practice of presenting what will be the most important trends in marketing and consumer behavior. This time it is not only about technological changes, quite the opposite, we are increasingly seeing a distancing of tactical digital advertising from the experience and contact with the consumer.
The end of disruption as a business model
Google, Facebook, Amazon and Twitter have announced major cuts in their companies. Amazon, for example, announced that the Alexa unit causes losses of more than 10 billion dollars, a business that was born with the purpose of attacking the income generated by Google searches. Twitter, after the forced purchase of Elon Musk, has not managed to add 24 hours without scandals. The greats of technology are cutting expenses, personnel and projects without results. The era of cheap money and projects that only sought to break established industries is in sharp decline.
The disruptive business model will no longer be valid in the current market without real results and profitability. For the next 18 months there will be little appetite for the risk of paper companies that live on credit and good faith, at least in the United States.
The climate as a catalyst for actions
For the average consumer, the weather has become a central issue in decision making. There are few middle-class people who don’t recognize that climate change is a controversial issue. I say the middle class because it is the socioeconomic sector that triggers changes in societies. For the most privileged segment the status quo it comes better and at the low end there are more important priorities than changing the world. An example of this is community initiatives within the urban areas of large economies, the creation of Resilience Hubs not only to help the most vulnerable or to link society, but also as a safe space to take refuge from the heat stroke that hit Europe in 2022. Resilience Hubs they are enhanced community service facilities to support residents, coordinate communication, allocate resources, and reduce carbon pollution while improving quality of life.
In Europe, heat waves have triggered a series of adaptations in the urban landscape, more trees, fountains and green roofs. All these effects seek to reduce the impact on the consumer, especially in a time of rising energy costs. Today the world consumer allocates more than a third of their income to food and energy.
more than augmented reality
The metaverse has caused nothing but problems for Mark Zuckerberg, who for years has tried to have his own internet. The idea of Facebook’s “Walled Garden” is not new, the metaverse is another version of the same tired idea. However, there are merits to the use of augmented reality technology, but only if it includes the real world. Consider a version of Google Glass plus Oculus. Extended Reality or XR is a seamless integration of the real world and the high-resolution graphics of the virtual world, creating an environment where users can directly interact with the digital and physical worlds.
Extended reality has more practical applications for the consumer. For example, seeing a car for sale on a website that you can explore in detail as if it were in your garage. An extreme example can be found in Amazon’s science fiction show Upload.
There is much to be done to build a better relationship between the consumer and companies. We are facing a new social contract, the relationship rules of 2019 do not apply to current consumers.